[FPSPACE] FW: EPSC: SMART-1 Mapped Crash Scene of Upcoming LCROSS Impact

[LARRY KLAES]

> Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:36:08 -0400
> Subject: EPSC: SMART-1 Mapped Crash Scene of Upcoming LCROSS Impact
> From: rick.fienberg at aas.org
> To: Rick.Fienberg at aas.org
> 
> THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE EUROPEAN PLANETARY SCIENCE
> CONGRESS PRESS OFFICE AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
> (FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL
> SOCIETY.) Rick Fienberg, American Astronomical Society:
> rick.fienberg at aas.org, 1-202-328-2010 x116.
> 
> September 25, 2009
> 
> Media Contact:
> Anita Heward
> Europlanet Press Officer
> Mobile: +44 (0)7756-034243
> E-mail: media.centre at europlanet-eu.org
> 
> Science Contacts:
> Bernard H. Foing
> ESA SMART-1 Project Scientist
> E-mail: Bernard.Foing at esa.int
> 
> Bjoern Grieger
> ESA SMART-1 AMIE Liaison Scientist
> Email: Bjoern.Grieger at esa.int
> 
> SMART-1 MAPPED CRASH SCENE OF UPCOMING LCROSS IMPACT
> 
> The European Space Agency’s SMART-1 team has released an image of the
> future impact site of NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing
> Satellite (LCROSS). LCROSS will search for water ice on the Moon by
> making two impacts into a crater named Cabeus A at the lunar South
> Pole. The impacts are scheduled for 11:30 am UT on 9 October 2009.
> 
> Bjoern Grieger, the liaison scientist for SMART-1’s AMIE camera, and
> Project Scientist Bernard Foing have searched through SMART-1’s
> database for images of Cabeus A, taken four years ago at conditions
> where solar elevation and direction were similar to those of LCROSS
> impact. The SMART-1 image is at high resolution as the spacecraft was
> at its closest distance of 500 km from the South Pole. The SMART-1
> image of the LCROSS target was discussed last week at lunar sessions
> of the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) in Potsdam, Germany.
> 
> Cabeus A is permanently shadowed, so ice lying inside the crater could
> be protected from the Sun’s harsh rays. LCROSS will send the upper
> stage Centaur rocket crashing into Cabeus A, and a shepherd spacecraft
> will fly into the plume of dust generated and measure its properties
> before making a second impact with the lunar surface. Astronomers will
> observe both impacts using ground and space-based telescopes. The
> SMART-1 spacecraft also concluded its mission with a controlled
> bouncing impact on 3 September 2006. The event was observed with
> ground-based telescopes, and the flash from the impact was detected at
> infrared wavelengths.
> 
> “We are pleased to contribute these ESA SMART-1 observations of the
> LCROSS target site in order to help in the planning and interpretation
> of impact observations. This is like gathering evidence for a Crash
> Scene Investigation, but before the action takes place,” said Bernard
> Foing.
> 
> “The coordination and exchange of information between lunar missions
> is an important step for future exploration of the Moon. Cooperation
> is vital if we are ever to see ‘villages’ of robotic landers and
> eventual lunar bases, as recommended by the International Lunar
> Exploration Working Group,” Foing added.
> 
> IMAGE
> 
> The image can be found at:
> http://www.europlanet-eu.org/demo/images/stories/ep/news/epsc2009/cabeus_a.jpg
> 
> Image caption: This image of LCROSS impact site Cabeus A was taken by
> the Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA’s SMART-1
> mission. The picture was taken from about 500 km, with small-field
> (about 50 km across) high resolution view (50 m/pixel). Image credit:
> B.Grieger, B.H. Foing & ESA/SMART-1/ AMIE team
> 
> FURTHER INFORMATION
> 
> SMART-1 public website:
> http://www.esa.int/smart-1
> 
> SMART-1 Scitech website:
> http://sci.es.aint/smart-1
> 
> LCROSS website:
> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/index.html
> 
> Lunar south polar maps from SMART-1:
> http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEM1S6M5NDF_0.html
> 
> SMART-1 impact:
> http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMWX03VRRE_0.html
> 
> International Lunar Exploration Working Group website:
> http://sci.esa.int/ilewg
> 
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> Fienberg, AAS Press Officer: rick.fienberg at aas.org, telephone
> 1-202-328-2010 x116.
 		 	   		  
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